School's in Session: Warrior Group Completes Major New Building on The University of North Texas at Dallas Campus

The University of North Texas at Dallas has completed its second building - a $41.5 M facility that includes numerous sustainable features and renewable energy components. Warrior Group partnered with Beck Group as general contractor to build the three-story, 100,000 square-foot facility

The first day of classes last week at the University of North Texas at Dallas marked the opening of the university's second building - a landmark project which expands the college-level opportunities for area students. Warrior Group, a provider of premier construction services for permanent modular and conventional construction, partnered with Beck Group as general contractor to build the three-story, 100,000 square-foot facility. The $41.5 million building will focus on math and science studies and includes numerous sustainable features and renewable energy components.


"Warrior Group and general contractor Beck set out to build a learning-centered facility that welcomes students and academics. This team reflected the diversity of the educational experience and spirit of community that the University of North Texas at Dallas provides to its students," said Gail Warrior Lawrence, president and chief executive officer, Warrior Group. "I am pleased that we have created a facility that supports campus life, creates a sense of community and is environmentally sustainable."

The architectural and engineering design team of Overland Partners Architects of San Antonio designed a building composed of a cast-in place concrete superstructure with a glass and brick façade. The facility contains classrooms, laboratories, an expanded library, a food court, various multi-purpose rooms, and staff and faculty offices. The building's design accommodates current and future enrollment and staff and allows for both formal and intimate gathering spaces while integrating natural and sustainable systems. The university is pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for the facility. The rating system means construction is independently verified to meet high environmental and efficiency standards.

As part of its LEED status, the building incorporates a variety of sustainable features:

• 448 solar panels line the roof of the north wing of the building and will produce 100.4 kilowatts of power—enough to run 1,000 100-watt light bulbs. The solar panels should capture sun rays for four to five hours per day and produce 450 -500 KW hours of energy daily. This will equal 16 percent of the building's electric needs, or 12 percent when the exterior and parking lot lights are working. On Sundays or other days when little energy is needed, electricity will be returned to the grid.
• Drains throughout the roof will carry rainwater to a 60,000-gallon cistern that will be used to irrigate the campus, which is landscaped with low-maintenance, drought resistant plants.
• A 100,000 square-foot vegetative roof on the east wing of the building is covered with Buffalo grass, which only needs mowing once a year and provides insulation to keep the building cooler in summer and warmer in winter.
• Natural light flows into the building though numerous large windows and skylights to reduce the need for electric lighting.
• Water-efficient fixtures will reduce water consumption by more than 40 percent.
• Advanced mechanical controls will operate the heating, ventilating and air conditioning system with maximum efficiency.
• Wood panels found on the walls and ceilings throughout the building are made of recycled wood veneer and the terrazzo-style floors on the ground level are made from recycled glass.
• Approximately 75 percent of the construction waste was diverted from the city landfill and recycled.

The University of North Texas at Dallas is a 21st century teaching institution and a component of the University of North Texas System. Founded in 2000 as the UNT Dallas Campus by the University of North Texas, the flagship of the UNT System, UNT Dallas has accepted its first freshman class this fall 2010. The University's goal is to train citizens to be productive and lead in a global environment and to promote the values of virtue, civility, reasoning and accountability.

About Warrior Group
Warrior Group, based in DeSoto, Texas, is a multi-million dollar provider of premier construction services focusing on permanent modular construction and construction management. The 13-year old company is one of the largest minority- and woman-owned construction services companies in the U.S. with more than 3.5 million square feet of successfully completed projects in the last three year alone, and with an impressive roster of private and public sector clients across the United States. Warrior is dedicated to building long-term customer relationships by continually surpassing expectations and providing superior customer service, effective construction management and turnkey solutions in the modular and general construction industry. www.warrior-group.net.

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